Maccheroni al ferro with sausage ragu

Making your own maccheroni adds time but brings plenty of rustic charm and the unsurpassable quality of home-made, especially when laden with this rich sausage ragu.

• serves

  6

• prep

  2 hours

• cook

  2:30 hours

• difficulty

  Mid

Ingredients

• 500 g semola (durum wheat flour)
• 2 egg yolks
• 200-250 ml warm water
• freshly grated parmesan, to serve

Sausage ragù

• 60 ml (¼ cup) extra-virgin olive oil
• 2 garlic cloves, unpeeled and bruised with the back of a knife
• 4 pork and fennel sausages, squeeze out of their casing
• 100 ml red wine
• 1 litre passata
• sea salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

Standing time: overnight

Instructions

1. Place the flour and egg yolks in a bowl. Using your hands to combine, gradually add the water until a dough comes together. Start with 150 ml water and continue until the dough comes together. It should feel firm but pliable enough to knead. Transfer the dough to a work surface and knead for 10-12 minutes or until silky and smooth. Cover and stand at room temperature for 30 minutes.

2. To roll the maccheroni, pinch off a small bit of dough about 2 cm in size. Flatten it, then shape it around a knitting or crocheting needle and roll backwards and forwards to make a thin cylinder about 7-8 cm long. Carefully pull out the skewer, place the maccheroni in a single layer on a baking paper lined tray and repeat with the remaining dough. Stand the rolled maccheroni, uncovered at room temperature for 12-14 hours to dry out. Once dry, you can freeze the maccheroni or cook straight away.

3. For the ragù, heat the oil in a large frying pan over medium heat. Add the garlic and cook for 2 minutes or until fragrant. Add the sausage meat and cook until browned, breaking it up with a large spoon as you go. Add the red wine and simmer for a few minutes to allow the alcohol to evaporate. Add the passata and season with salt. Reduce the heat to low, cover and simmer, stirring occasionally, for 2 hours or until reduced by one third. Taste for seasoning and adjust to your liking.

4. To serve, bring a large pot of salted water to the boil. Drop the dried maccheroni into the boiling water and cook for 7-8 minutes or until al dente. Remove with a large, slotted spoon and add straight to the pan with the ragù in it. Toss to coat well, the serve hot with a dusting of freshly grated parmesan.

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Cook's Notes

Oven temperatures are for conventional; if using fan-forced (convection), reduce the temperature by 20˚C. | We use Australian tablespoons and cups: 1 teaspoon equals 5 ml; 1 tablespoon equals 20 ml; 1 cup equals 250 ml. | All herbs are fresh (unless specified) and cups are lightly packed. | All vegetables are medium size and peeled, unless specified. | All eggs are 55-60 g, unless specified.